“We are stepping up our efforts to counter terrorism in the Sahel region and to support economic and political development,” said [William] Hague, who last month became the first British minister to visit Mauritania.

Britain is working with France and other European allies to develop an effective EU approach to security and development in the Sahel, he said.

Plans were at an early stage for a small EU mission in the Sahel region, focussing on policing, security, infrastructure development and regional training, he said.

This European initiative seems to respond not only to the recent kidnappings of European tourists, but also to a European perception that Sahelian countries cannot deal with the problem themselves. A sub-theme of a recent AFP article, “Mali kidnappings highlight poor regional cooperation,” is European frustration:

A total of nine hostages are now being held in the Sahel region and the pressure is on from European governments for local authorities to play their part in securing their release.

As AFP points out, European pressure or intervention can rouse negative feelings in the region, for example in Algeria. Additionally, as I’ve written before, incentives for cooperation sometimes run into regional tensions that limit trust. A larger European security presence in the Sahel could help reduce kidnappings or rescue hostages, but it could also contribute to the region’s complicated politics.

A final point is that the new European police force will be only one part of a constantly evolving strategy against AQIM. In Mauritania, for example, “A group of financial workers gathered in Nouakchott last week to learn how to effectively fight money laundering and stem terror funding.” This experimentation speaks to the seriousness of the problems associated with terrorism, but measures like the financial training could also help change the character of the fight.